Seed-planter



NiTEn STATES PATENT EErcEo JOSEPH LAUDF, OF MONTICELL, ARKANSAS.

.SEED-PLANTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,844, datedSeptember 8, 18 35. Applcati. n filed January 2, 18`5. (No mddel.)

To aZZ whomri may concern:

Be it known that I, JosErH LAUDE, of Monticello, in the county of Drewand State of Arkansas, have invented a new and Improved Seed Planter, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of my invent-ion is to improve the construction ofseed-planters, especially the planter shown in a United States LettersPatent No. 204,983, issued to me on the 18th of June, 1878, so as tomake a cleaner furrow anda better ridging of the earth on the droppedseed, and to provide for planting two or more kinds of seed at once andat any desired distances apart, and for dropping seed and a fertilizersimultaneously.V Y

The invention consists in various constructions and combinations ofparts of the planter, all as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of myimprovedseed-planter,l Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof, partly broken away and insection. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail plan View of the seed-droppingdevices. Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line x w, Fig. '3.Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of different styles of seed-gages.Fig. 7 is a perspective View of the seed-dropping plates. Figs. 8, 9,10, and ll are detail views showing the arrangement of the end bearingsof the main seed or fertilizer dropping wheel or drum; and Fig. l2 is' arear perspective view of the furrow-opener and drag.

The 'letter A indicates the machiueframe, which has a bowed front, a,and cross-bars a a2, and between the bar a and front a is fixed alongitudinally -ranging beam, B, through which the standard C of thefurrow-opening plow D is passed, and to which beam the standard isfirmly locked by a diagonally-ranging yoke, c, extending along one sideand the upper and lower edges of the beam and passing through a plate,c', outside of which nuts c2 are run on ther threaded ends of the yokec, whose upper and lower arms lie, respectively, at the front and rearedges of the standard C, and the upper arm, c3, of the yoke may enterany one of a series of notches, d, formedin the front edge of thestandard, so that the plow'D and its drag E may be supported at anydesired height to work deeper or `shallower in the ground.l I connectthe dragEto the plow D, so that it lines with the longitudinal center ofthe plow, by means of a pivot-bolt, d', passing through theupper arm,E', of the drag and the plow-standard C, and the arm E has fixed hookover the side of the standard C opposite to that againstwhich the arm Elies, so that lateral play of the drag is prevented, and a bolt, di,passed through the partsCE E2 binds the drag firmly to place. If at anytime the drag E is not needed, as in planting some crops, the bolt d2may be taken out and the drag be swung upV on the pivot-bolt d', or bothbolts may be removed for separating the drag from the standard.

The drag has formed at its opposite sides the diverging plates orewingsc e, which pack andsrnooth the sides of the furrow opened by the plow D,and insure the dropping of the seed to the bottom of the furrow and at auniform depth in the soil; and I make the width of the drag across 'thewings e e wider at the ground-surface than the plow'D, so that the dragserves to gage the depth of the furrow to some extent, thedraft-connection be ving of course placed in the proper notch of theclevis A', fixed to thefront o-t' the frame.

The seed or fertilizerlholding drum F has closed ends and a peripheryformed in a series of projecting angles, f, one of which,as atf, ishinged to allow theseed or fertilizer to be placed inthe drum, which asit rolls over the drum is used to plant cotton-.seed in lumpysoil,atwhich time free vertical play bodily of the drum is desirable, and tosecure which I journal the ends of the shaft F'of the drum in boxesG,which are fitted to slide in verticallyside bars of the frame A.-sayby screws passed and when the drum is not to have vertical movement, as"when planting certain seeds on smoother ground,I pass into the verticalslots of the plates H, and above the bearings or boxes G, the blocks I,over which the slide plates or caps J are passed into slots j, made toit the angle-bracket E2, which locks by its slotted yoke-plates H, fixedto the opposite,`

ground also acts as a clod-erusher when the through lugs h of the platesinto theframe'- y IOO in horizontal plane in the inner faces of theopposite arms or sides of the plates II, ucar their upper ends, and sothat said caps J lie upon inturned lianges H of the plates, and pins orscrews K may be passed through the cap J into the flanges H or inside ofouter bars h of the flanges into the frame A to hold the caps to place(see Figs. 8, 9, 10, and l1) and secure the shaft-boxes G at the basesof the slots in the yoke-plates.

To the shaft F of the drum F are Xed the cone chain-pulleys L, fromwhich drivingchains M lead to cone chain-pulleys N, fixed to the shaftofthe upper seed cylinder or drum, O, the shaft 0 of which is supportedat the ends in bearings in plates l?, which are held to posts A2 A,rising from the frame A, by bolts P', passing through slots in theplates P, and having thumb-nuts p by which to bind the plates to theposts.

The slotted plates I) allow the shaft o of the seed-drum O to beadjusted to 'or from the shaft F of the drum F, so that the chains M mayalways be kept taut on their pulleys L N, when the chains are adjustedthereon to give varying speeds to the drums F and O, for dropping theseeds at different distances apart by devices presently to be described.By shifting the chains on the cone-pulleys, the distance apart at whichthe seeds will be planted may be varied from twelve inches to tive feetby increasing distances of six inches or more, so that the machine isadapted for planting many kinds of seed.

The frame posts A2 A2 are tied together by a cross bar or beam, A3,which also ties the opposite handles, Q Q, together, the handles beingfastened at their forward ends to the frame A and extending backwardasuitable distance to be reached by the attendant for guiding themachine when at work.

I make the upper rear seed-druni,O,with a central lengthwise partition,O', so that two kinds of seed may be planted from the drum and inalternate hills, and I prefer to make the partition O removable byfitting it into slideways fixed to the ends of the drum, as shown, so itmay be used or not, as desired. Part of the periphery ofthe drum O ishinged, as at o, to allow the seeds to be placed in it.

I provide the drum F at the center of its peripheral angles, and alsothe drum O at two, or it may be four, diametrically-opposite points ot'its periphery,with a casing or throat piece, R, having outer flanges, r,by which they are secured within openings ofthe drums, and to formpockets into which the seed is admitted, and from which it is dischargedby the double action of the valve-platesS T, which are connected rigidlyby a pin, t, by which, also, both plates are pivoted to the drums, andwhen the seed-pockets R are deep, as in Fig.- 4, a flange, r', mayproject from the inner edge of the pocket through which and theseed-drum periphery the pivot-pin t passes to give sufficient length ofbearings or between the bearings to hold the valveplates S Tclosely tothe inner and outer end openings of the seedpockets. Shoulders t t2 inthe plate T strike alternately against a stop pin, t, fixed to the drumto limit the swinging of the valveplates both ways.

The outer plates, T, have flanges U, the arms a u of which are set atabout right angles with each other and are slightly curved, so that theflanges U of the valve-plates of the upper drum, O, will by their arms astrike the tappetarni V, held to the cross-bar A3, to swing the plate Sover to uncover the inner end. ot' the seed-pocket, and at the same timecover its outer end by the plate T, so that the pocket may ll with seedas the drum turns downward, and the arm u of iange U next meets thelower tappet-arm, V, which swings the plates S'T back to cut oftthesupply to the'seedpocket and drop the seed that had filled into it, andno more, to the ground through a spout, V2, held to the frame by meansot' a clip or yoke, V3, which is attached to a bracket, Vt, fixed to theframe A by a thumb-screw, v2, which passes through slots in the sidearms of yoke V3, thereby allowing the spout to be set nearer to orfarther from the drum O, and at different angles, so as to drop the seedin a bunch or scattered, as may desired.

I hold the tappet-arms V V to the machineframe by screws o, passingthrough slots n ot the tappets, so that the tappets may be adjusted tooperate the valve-plates S T at any position to which the drum O may beadjusted to vary the distance apart of the planting, as above described.

Tappet-arms V W', held to the frame, operate the valve or cut-oft platesS T otthe drum F, to drop seed or fertilizer therefrom into the furrow,substantially as above described.

in my aforesaid Patent, No. 204,983, theY valve-plates were pivoted tothe gages which were used to regulate the sizes of the seedpockets. Inmy present invention I keep the gages X separate from the valve-platesby connecting them by screws 00, passing through slots a," in the gagesto the seed-drums at points opposite to the pivots of the slide-plates,(see Figs. 3 and 4,) so that the end flanges, X, of the gages may beshifted to govern the size of the seed-pocket as desired, and by makingthe pockets It and end gaging-flanges X more or or less deep andregulating the length of the connecting-pin t of the slide-plates ST, itwill be seen that any desired quantity of seed may be dropped from theseed-drums.

For the deeper seed-pockets R, I prefer to form inside flanges, X2, onthe gages X, by bending the metal over backward or at a right angle fromthe inner end, X, of the gageflanges, (see Fig. 4,) which holds thegages better to the seed-pockets R in connection with the screw m.

Vhen smaller quantities of seed are to be dropped,the combined seedpockets and gages Y, shown in Fig. 6, may be used with the plates S T byfastening them by a screw passed through a hole, 1, into the drums, sothat their opposite end portion, having seed-pockets YY? of any desiredsize, may pass into an opening` inthe periphery of be understood. I

To cover the seed in the furrow I employ the right and left hand covererhoes or blades Z Z, which are fixed to a cross-bar, z, con-` neetedpivotally by arms z a to the side bars the drum, as will readily of themachine-frame, and theV arms z are pro;l

and dispense with the partsA z2 z3 e* z5, so that the coverers will nothave an independent np-V and-down movement.

It will be seen that by taking out the two screws P the upper drum, O,may be removed from the frame when it is desired to use the lower drum,F, alone, and when both drums are used seed may be dropped from eitherdrum while a fertilizer is dropped from the other one.

Having thus described my inventiomwhat I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, isf l. The combination, with thefurrow-opener, of the drag held to the rear side of the opener, andhaving upwardlydiverging wings eX- tended laterally beyond the sides ofthe furrow-opener, whereby the running depth of the latter may be gaged,substantially as set forth.

2. In a seed-planter, thev combination, with the furrow-opening plow andits standard, of the drag E, constructed with diverging wings e e, andan arm, E', pivoted to the standard 'at d', and having the anglehook-plate E2, engaging the standard, and the. bolt d2, substantially asherein set forth.

3. As an improved article of manufacture, the drag E, made with ahorizontally-ranging bottom part provided with diverging wings e e, andan arm, E', having a hook-shaped angle-plate, El, substantially asherein set forth.

4. In a seed-planter, the combination, with the seed-drum F, its shaftF', and the machine-frame, of the yoke-plates H, loose boxes G, theremovable blocks I, and caps J, substantially as herein set forth. 4

5. The combination of a'lowerseed-drnm having cone-pulleys, a seconddrum jonrnaled adjacentto said lower'seeddrum, and also provided withcone-pulleys, an adjustable support for one of said drums, whereby theymay be adjusted toward each other and apart, and belts connect-ing thepulleys of said drums, substantially as set forth.

'6. The' drum O, provided ou the inner sides of its opposite ends withapproximately-radial guideways, combined with a partition, O', .extendedlongitudinally of the Vdrum and having its ends removably held Withinguideways thereof, substantially as set forth.

,7. The combination, with theseed-drnrn O,

of the partition O', extended longitudinally.

thereof, substantially as herein set forth.

8. Ina seed-planter, the combination,` with the seed-pockets R andpivoted valve-plates `S T, of separate gage-plates X, held adjustably tothe seed-drum and entering the pockets by their flanges X',substantially as herein set forth. l

9. In a seed-planter, the combination, Withl the seed-pockets R, of thegage-plates X, held adj ustablyA to the seed-drum, and provided vWiththegaging-tlanges X and inner anges, X2, substantially as herein setforth.

l0. In a seed-planter,- the combination, with the seed drumO and itsseed-dropping devices, of the 'spout V2, held to the framebraeket V4 bya clip oryoke, V 3, having slots in its side arms, and a screw, o2,substantially as herein set forth. A Y

11. The combination, with the movable seeddrulnO and its seed-droppingvalve-plates S T U, of the adjustable tappets V V', substantially asherein set forth.

Josnrri LAunE.

Witnesses:

W. C. GALLION, j ZnrH J. Woon.

